[b]II, 7 sukha anusayi ragah
II, 8 duhkha anusayi dvesah
Attachment
is the dwelling upon
pleasure.
Aversion
is the dwelling upon
pain
[/b]
M. Stiles
Iyengar states that ?Dwelling on pleasurable experiences ingnites desire and a sense of attraction which creates attachment. Pleasurable experiences generate greed and lust, which strengthens attachment and stimulates a greater craving as one always wants more and more. One becomes absorbed by the pursuit of pleasure and addicted to gratification…Pain, sorrow, and misery trigger a chain of hate or aversion. Recollecting lost pleasures, tormented by desires unfulfilled, man is led to sorrow. In extreme distress he comes to hate himself, his family, neighbours and surroundings and feels a sense of worthlessness.? (p.109-110)
So then this is where dispassion and acceptance can help us walk the line between the two states ? accepting but not becoming attached to pleasure, accepting but not becoming averse to pain & suffering ? being aware of both but not becoming involved. This is where the practice of abhyasa and vairagya (I, 12 http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f20/yoga-sutras-i-12-methods-control-vritti-part-i-1264.html ) can be implemented.
Swami Satchidananda makes a very important point: ?Just like that, happiness is already in us. Wherever we go, we reflect our happiness onto people and things. When we see a smiling face and feel happy, it is because the smiling face reflects our happiness. Just as a pure, clean mirror reflects our face beautifully, certain pure, clean faces freflect our happiness. Then we say, ?she gives me happiness.? In other faces, our happiness reflects in a distorted way and we say, ?I don?t like that person.? It?s absolutely nonsense ? no one can ever give us happiness or unhappiness but can only reflect or distort our own inner happiness.? (p. 91)
Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New Delhi, India: Harper Collins Publications India. 1993
Swami Satchidananda. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Buckingham, VA: Integral Yoga Publications. 2004
Stiles, M. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Boston, MA: Red Wheel/Weiser LLC. 2002